Unexpected Consequences
by Somewhat Sporadic
Summary: Jane concocts a new plan to help Van Pelt. But the effects it has...well, I think the title pretty much speaks for itself! Jisbon and Rigspelt, all mushed into one! :D Better inside xx *NOW COMPLETE!*
1. A Hole Is Where The Heart Was

**A/N: This story came to me a while ago and it's been bouncing around inside my head for ages! So here goes! :D Enjoy xx WORD O' WARNING! There may be some strong language involved. Don't say I didn't warn you! K, this chapter is a little bit of a kick starter. Just so you get the basic gist of everyone's frame of mind and what the storyline is. I apologise if it's just a lot of blabbering, but please bear with me! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Mentalist, although I'm hoping that I'll be the proud owner of the DVD sets this Christmas! :D**

A hole is where the heart was

His head was buzzing today. Full of thoughts and feelings and the urgent need to get up and _do _something! But there was no case. And without a case, there was no job. And with no job… let's just say that Patrick Jane was not one for idly sitting around.

It gave him too much time to think. About anything and everything, bad things and good things, past and future. His brain was constantly on 'go' from the moment he woke up in the morning. Although, truth be told he was almost always awake when it became the morning anyway, since he spent most nights watching the stars painstakingly make their way across the sky. Even the dreams he had when sleep did come to him plagued the poor man with flashbacks and dreadful emotions.

He liked the daytime. The rising sun always told of a new chapter in his, albeit tragic, story. It gave him a clean, fresh slate to write on, metaphorically speaking. Nothing could be any worse than it had been in the past, right?

Each day, he would rise and get changed into a pristine set of clothes; his usual three piece suit was always hung up, ready to be put on right off the bat. Even his comb was positioned on his dresser, the vast array of aftershave bottles lined up like soldiers on the shelf. It had been a habit that Angela had forced him into, and he never seemed able to break out of it.

Uh oh, he was thinking again. _I really have got to stop this, _he thought. Of course, he knew that the scars would never fade. He couldn't ever make himself forget all that's happened in the past.

Truth be told, he wouldn't want to forget it, even if he had the option. At the end of the day, his lust for revenge and the feeling of general hatred all boiled down to one thing: Self-preservation. Mad as it may seem, all he had to hold onto was Red John. And as much as he _desperately_ wanted to let go, he was scared that if he did, he would fall apart. There wouldn't be anything left for him to live for. The thread that had been used to patch him up and hold him together over the years would snap. The seams would burst and he would have no control.

_For God's sake, Patrick, you're doing it again!_ He finally got a grip back on reality and grumbled to himself.

An irritated sigh resonated around the room, echoing his own moans of distress. It snapped him out of his reverie. Jane reluctantly turned his head and opened his eyes groggily. Grace Van Pelt was sprawled across her desk, flame-red hair splayed across the sea of paper, a hand haphazardly dangling off the edge.

"What's wrong, Grace? Rigsby trouble?" he smirked. That old flame was _so _obviously still there, just waiting to be rekindled. No matter how much each of them tried to deny it, it was plain for all to see. After all, times had been bleak lately, and everyone knows that fire glows brightest of all in the darkness.

"Shut up, Jane!" she squeaked suddenly, snapping her head up so quickly, her hair erupted into the air. It settled back down again on her shoulders. She glanced in Rigsby's direction discreetly. His vacant expression indicated that he didn't hear the remark. "And no! I do not have… 'Rigsby trouble' as you so wrongly put it!" Her voice dropped into a harsh whisper.

"Wrongly? Oh, come on, Grace. Do I have to spell it out?" He closed his eyes again and settled back in the plush couch cushions underneath him.

"Spell what out? There's nothing between us." She sniffed indignantly, turning back to her computer, fingers suspended above the keyboard.

"How did you know I was gonna say that?" _Bingo!_ He silently congratulated himself.

She flushed instantly. _Dammit!_ "Well, I—err…" she broke off, knowing she was beat. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Jane! STOP IT!" she shouted. Several faces turned to look at her questionably. Including Rigsby's. She pinched the bridge of her nose and counted in her head to ten.

"Stop counting. That won't do anything. Believe me, I've tried it. And stop what?"

"THAT! It's not funny!" Grace's face was rapidly turning a similar shade of red as her hair. Jane looked at her, a smile gracing his features. She calmed a little when she saw it was not one of mocking, or of smugness, but one of genuine friendliness.

"You know, I think I can help you out. Come with me. He'll hear us here." She stared at him incredulously as he began to get up. His eagerness to help was strangely unnerving.

"How... What are you gonna do, Jane?" She asked, glancing over at Rigsby. As a thought struck her, she shook her head, scrunching her eyes up in disgust. "No! No, no, no, no, no! We're over, Jane. We have been for ages! We can't do it anyways! The rules say—"

"Ugh… rules." He cut in. "That's all you ever hear around these parts. Rules, rules and more rules… Don't you ever get sick of it, Grace? Wouldn't it be great to just…break free from it all, and throw caution to the wind? Think how nice that'd be. Just—"

"Jane, stop trying to hypnotize me!" she shrieked, earning her yet another round of odd looks and scowls. Jane laughed out loud.

"You Ok, Grace? Is Jane giving you trouble?" piped up Rigsby from his desk. She released a breath she didn't realise she was holding and forced a smile onto her face.

"Nah, I'm OK. He's just doing his—"

She glanced sideways over at Jane, who had picked up a book and was aimlessly attempting to balance it on his head. _Oh, bloody hell, _she thought and stared at him.

"—usual." Rigsby finished, and he smiled in understanding.

"Yeah." She grinned back, that old familiar spark rushing up her spine. Jane gave up and threw the book down on a vacant chair.

"Come on, Grace. I wanna show you something." He announced, firmly tugging on her arm. She was forced to oblige to his nagging, and so got to her feet and followed him to the kitchenette. Rigsby's eyes followed them suspiciously over the top of his sandwich, his detective instincts starting to kick in. Something was up, and he didn't like it.

_Meanwhile…_

Lisbon hummed along to the radio, a rare privilege around these parts. It was always either in use by the cleaners, or in pieces tucked away in a drawer somewhere. Today, she had been first to arrive, and so had taken the liberty of claiming it for herself.

Her pen tapped rhythmically on the paper. Music really helped to stimulate her mind, which in turn helped her to focus on the pile of paper in front of her.

Suddenly, static came through the speakers, making her jerk her head up and glare at no one in particular. Then, in a somewhat mocking manner, it faded out until there was nothing but the faint hum of electricity coming through. "Battery's dead again!"she huffed, slamming her head down on the table.

The force of it made the desk vibrate for a few milliseconds, after which she flung her arms back in the air and ran her fingers irritably through her hair. She yawned widely, tired and fed-up. The small tears filled her eyes and distorted her vision.

She squinted, allowing everything to blur and morph into something it wasn't, a change of scenery to the everyday hubbub of the CBI building. Her beige couch twisted into what could only be described as a blob, the sea of paper became just a plain, pristine screen of white and the people outside turned into unintelligible scribbles from a three year old's drawing.

Then, one of said 'scribbles' started to get up. She opened her eyes normally and a mass of blonde curls swam into vision, followed by the navy blue three-piece suit that always came after. She smiled.

She couldn't hear his voice; just see his mouth moving up and down, the only indication of him speaking. She knew him so well though, that even without the audible sound of his words, she could imagine them, as clear as day. Well, she heard them often enough! The man spoke a lot, be it intelligent conversation between him and the rest of the team, a terse nod and a few passing words of farewell, or unorthodox facts and figures he had intentionally concocted in his head.

Teresa Lisbon knew one thing for sure, however. She would never tire of hearing him. Hearing him talk to her. Even listening to him _shout_ at her! But the most magical thing was when he laughed. His mischievous chuckle gave her a glimmer of hope that he was not beyond repair, as she so thought when they first met.

He was laughing now, head thrown back, mouth agape in a chorus of raucous laughter. A shiver ran through her. _Oh man, not again…_

Lately, she had taken to watching his every move, analysing his body language. The way his adorable dimples showed when he grinned, the way his body tensed when something red was in the room, even the slight tremor in his hands that occurred when he awoke, evidently the lasting effects of another nightmare.

In more recent times, she had found her mind wandering off into places that were marked 'No entry', suddenly realising where her imagination was taking her. Just once, she wanted to know what his hand felt around hers, what his embrace felt like when she really needed it most.

She wanted to be there for him. A tiny piece of her heart chipped off every time she saw him on the verge of tears. Looking cold and lonely, nothing but a small child trapped in a bad dream with no caring parents to comfort him afterwards. She knew what _that _felt like! But not only when he was visibly in pain did she feel that wave of nausea hit her; but also when another woman was on the scene.

Admittedly, he was indeed _very _good looking. And yes, his charisma was definitely alluring, and one that was her kind of cup of tea, too. But jealousy was one of the most common emotions for her to feel now. Every time some hooker started looking his way, or a girl who looked _way _too young for that kind of relationship put on that flirtatious mask, God forgive her, she wanted to scream and slap those petty, make up-clad faces to hell and back. But of course she couldn't because both her job and her self-pride depended on it too much.

She continued to watch the scene unravel before her. Taking in every minute detail, committing it to memory. Rigsby munching contentedly on his lunch, even though it was only half past ten, Grace's flushed rosy cheeks, and Jane's strong hands. The same ones that had caught her in a trust fall. The same ones that—Say what?

Suddenly, before she knew it, another fragment of her heart was gone, along with any other hopes she might've had of helping Patrick Jane. In just a few seconds, all her dreams had shattered, leaving her to pick up the pieces. Because right now, Jane had his arm around Grace's shoulders. He was laughing all right, but not in the way she wanted him to be. He was laughing at Grace. No, laughing _with _Grace it seemed. Was it just her, or was Rigsby looking a little red in the face too?

But that didn't matter now. Patrick Jane had gone. Vanished in a puff of smoke, only to be replaced with a strange, deluded copy of his former self. The Patrick she had so longed to be with... Grace had gotten the one man that Teresa Lisbon had ever paid any real attention to. Maybe it was an overreaction, maybe not. Perhaps she had gotten the wrong end of the stick entirely.

But in that moment, her world went black. Nothing was what she saw. Just a vast, never-ending hole of nothing. It took her a few moments to realise that the hole in question, was her heart. Or rather, where her heart once was.

**I have so many ideas planned for the rest of this one! Please be kind and review! They make my day! ;D Much love to all xxxx**


	2. The Plan, The Witness and The Warzone

**A/N: Wow! I got loads of feedback about my first chapter; I was amazed by the reception! You guys are amazing, and to those of you who alerted, favourited or reviewed, or did all three, THANK YOU SO MUCH! :D Not sure yet, but there might be some language in here too… Don't say I didn't warn ya! **

**Disclaimer: My stocking's still empty… Oh wait, it isn't even Christmas yet is it? Duh! But my point is it isn't mine. I know. Sad isn't it? :(**

The Plan, the Witness and the Warzone

Jane had perched himself on the countertop, swinging his legs absent-mindedly whilst Van Pelt stood apprehensively in the middle of the room. She watched him expectantly. But still, after several moments he made no attempt to start talking.

"Sooo…What's your 'great and almighty plan', then Jane?" she finally sighed impatiently.

"My plan is…" He launched himself from the worktop and stood before her, straightening out his clothes. "…that we make Rigsby jealous!" he finished with a radiant smile. But she didn't return it.

_Man, this woman is boring! I prefer Lisbon…_ he thought morosely.

"Make him jealous? How the—"

"—what we do is we pretend to be a couple." He caught her look of horror. "Yes, don't look at me like that, Grace. You heard me! You and I, we announce that we're together, et voila! We watch the magic do its work. Rigsby will be immensely jealous, therefore revealing his true feelings for you in the heat of the moment. When he does, you say 'Me and Jane aren't working out anyway.' And there you have it! Happily ever after." He grinned nonchalantly, awaiting her response.

Her mouth finally decided to co-operate, and let out audible words. "But we can't do that! He has a girlfriend now! That…Sarah, was it? That's not fair on her! It'll ruin their relationship!" She said loudly, disgusted at his proposition.

Jane slapped his hand on his forehead in annoyance. "That's the whole point, Grace!"

"But you're eleven years older than me!" She was clutching at straws now. Oh man, why was nothing ever easy?

He frowned. "That's not too bad!"

"Not too bad?" Her face was flushing red again. But Jane wasn't fazed.

"There are plenty of other couples who have a much bigger age difference, Grace." he tutted. He was _not_ impressed. "Are you calling me old?"

"No…"

He put his hands on his hips. "Oh, come on. Get over it. You want him, don't you?"

"Well…yes."

"And you wanna be able to speak to him normally, right?"

"Yes!"

"Well then, give it a shot! If it doesn't work out, I'll apologise and explain to Rigsby myself what's been going on. OK?" He watched as her face flickered from one emotion to another. It was such a simple solution! Some people just weren't adventurous in the slightest. It annoyed him to no end seeing how many pessimists there were in the world. Looking back, maybe he had been subject to the curse himself a few times. Now, however, he was one of the most optimistic people you could ever meet!

Wasn't he?

Grace sighed in defeat and tutted in annoyance. "OK, fine! But I swear to God, if you do anything to—"

"—Hey Cho!" Jane cut in, effectively halting her flow of words. He glanced nervously at Van Pelt who swivelled around, catching Jane's eye with the end of her hair. He stumbled back, clutching his face whilst crying out. His foot caught on the chair leg, making him stumble to the floor. He lay there, whining in 'agony'.

Their colleague was watching them expressionless from his place by the door. His broad arms were crossed over his chest, making him appear somewhat intimidating. The stoic mask was in place, naturally, and his eyes searched mercilessly for an explanation. Inside, his brain was whirring. They stared back, looking rather sheepish like two little kids who had just been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

There had been some serious debating going on here. He'd caught the end of it. It must have been pretty heated up for Van Pelt to look so…flustered. And why was Jane on the floor? His eyes narrowed further, making Grace practically cower in fear. Then, all the gears in Cho's fast-working mind fell into perfect alignment, and he knew what they were up to.

"Really? You think that's gonna work?" he deadpanned. Grace glanced down at Jane for help, but he feebly waved a hand in her direction.

"Think what's gonna work?" she muttered. The only thing she got was a raised eyebrow. "What?" Her fists were clenched at her sides.

"Nothing. I'm just saying. Rigsby isn't that stupid, guys. And before you do this, think about the consequences that could come out of it. And that's not just aimed at you, Grace." With a final glance at the man on the floor, he was gone. She stared after him with an open mouth.

"He is actually quite creepy." She murmured. When there wasn't an answer she looked down to see him silently chuckling, eye now miraculously recovered. "What are you laughing at? We were nearly busted in the first few seconds of my agreeing!" she screeched, stamping her foot within an inch of his head. Jane put his hands up in surrender.

"OK, OK. Calm down. It's just…you're face. You're not that good at lying, are you?" he grinned.

"Hey!"

He shrugged. "Meh, the truth hurts. Now you've got to get it together, because we need to tell everyone the 'big news'." Her face paled.

"I'm not sure I can do this…"

"Sure you can! I'll be right with you the whole way, yeah? You just smile and act natural, and I'll do the talking. How's about we set the ball rolling with a kiss, eh?"

"Hell no! What do you take me for, Jane?" She could've slapped him right then and there.

"Jeez, calm down! I was joking!" He heaved himself up off of the floor. "But the time may come when we have to, if we really want it to work." Grace swallowed nervously. _If we want it to work… _Did she want it to work? Of course she did. But there were so many ways it could go wrong. So many possible outcomes…

She felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull her closer. She almost punched him on impulse, but that wouldn't make the whole thing very believable now, would it? So instead, she settled for a small jab with her elbow, and allowed him to walk her towards the bullpen, where the show was soon to begin…

_Meanwhile…_

So that was it then. No more 'Dynamic Duo'. No more friendly banter or origami frogs to look forward to. All of it had been washed away by the few silent tears she had inadvertently shed in the privacy of her office. A ball of paper sat in her hand, well and truly crushed, just like her.

Lisbon didn't normally get like this; it wasn't in her nature. In fact, it felt so alien to her, it made the want to collapse and cry even stronger. She was well out of her comfort zone. Sure, there had been the times when the boy she had a crush on at school declared he was with someone else, but she always got over it within the hour, telling herself she was well out of their league anyway. But this was a different story.

It hurt. Physically. Never again would she look at a man the same way again, as there was no one who could ever be the same as Patrick Jane. He was just so different to other people she'd met. He was… special. He would always be at the very heart of her memory palace.

She watched on now, as though they were on a large TV screen. It was like a cruel reality show, where no matter how much she shouted at the picture, it never made a difference to the outcome. Patrick and Grace were entering the bullpen. His arm was draped around her waist, her head leaning on his shoulder. So it was true then. They were together. Man, she wanted to scream right about now!

What did that song say? '_Love is a battlefield'_? Yeah, it sure was. Inside, she was a warzone of dreadful emotions. Pat Benatar… Boy, she was lucky! She had everything going for her, didn't she? Did she ever have problems like this? Probably not.

Once again, Lisbon brought her head down onto the desk, over and over again. The banging was so loud; she didn't hear the knock at the door. Cho walked in and froze. Now this was different.

"Err…I won't ask. Case files on the Fitzpatrick case." He placed them gingerly on the desk and then went to leave. But her voice stopped him.

"Thanks Cho. Hey, can you…"

He turned to look at her. Through all the many years he had worked with his boss, he had never seen her look so lost. Absently, he gazed through the pane of glass, and then did a double take.

From her office, she had the most perfect view of the bullpen. And in said bullpen were Patrick Jane and Grace Van Pelt, looking all loved up and unable to keep their hands off each other.

_Oh my God… I told them! I told them to think of the consequences! Especially Jane! Why can't he see what everyone else can see?_

"Can I what, Boss?"

She continued to stare wistfully into the distance. Then she looked up, forcing a smile onto her face and replied. "Ah, nothing. I'm sorry. Thank you for that, Cho."

He nodded and left, still unable to get that image out of his head.

Ok, come on. It was obvious that Lisbon and Jane were meant for each other. At least in his eyes. And _surely _Jane must feel something if Lisbon does! She was the most down to Earth person he knew, so if he saw something like what he'd just witnessed, then sure as hell, it was real. There was nothing fake or fantastical about her.

_Oh God…_

Back inside her office, Lisbon had dropped the act again and her eyes began to take on a dull, grey colour. Her shoulders sagged, as though a heavy weight had just been dropped on top of her, the paperwork now seeming insignificant. Like a broken record, she kept replaying the same words in her mind.

_I'll get over it. I'll get over it. I'll get over it._

But like the scars that were caused by war itself, she knew that the pain would never really go away.

**Not sure on this one. Thoughts? Opinions? I'm all ears. I'm still, what I call a writer-in-training, so any constructive criticism is accepted with open arms! Thank you all for giving me the confidence I needed to continue. Love to y'all! Xx**

**Next one should be up soon, I hope! ;D**


	3. Hate to Love and Love to Hate

**A/N: Whoa! Sorry for the wait folks! My bad. I'm genuinely amazed at how many people are following this story. I love you all! (Not in a creepy way!) As well as being said by one of my reviewers, it's pretty obvious that Jane is a bit of a jackass in this story, but hopefully this next chapter should resolve it a little. Enjoy peeps! :D**

**Disclaimer: Wow, broken record or what? It isn't mine. **

Hate to Love and Love to Hate

A few stray crumbs escaped Rigsby's open mouth and fell onto the desk where they lay unnoticed. The remains of the sandwich he was holding hung suspended in the air. Before him was a scene he never thought he would see; Patrick Jane had his arm around his girlfriend's waist! No, _ex-girlfriend. _But still!

Both Jane and Van Pelt suppressed a satisfied smirk as they noticed the jealous glint in his eyes. He'd even stopped eating! Now that was no mean feat, and Jane ever so slightly jabbed her in the side with his finger as if to say, _I told you so!_ She just rolled her eyes.

Cho glanced up from his latest novel to take in the scene before him. Arm around the waist? Seriously? Elise and he hadn't done that until they had been dating _at least _a week! But Jane and Van Pelt only started 'dating' today, if you could actually call it that. He mentally slapped his forehead in annoyance. He spun around in his chair and placed the closed book onto a table behind him, taking the opportunity to look at Lisbon in the process.

However, he noticed she wasn't there. He hadn't seen her leave her office, but since the desk was void of any papers or pens or mugs of cold coffee, his first guess was that she had gone home. That is, until she stepped out of the kitchenette. She was holding all her things, had her coat on and had her car keys dangling from her left hand. Reluctantly and with visibly rigid movements, she entered the bullpen.

Jane and Van Pelt sprung apart at the sight of their boss and looked at the ground sheepishly. But Lisbon didn't really acknowledge their actions anymore. She had to get out of there, and fast. Before she broke down in front of them all. She wished them all a good evening and abruptly left the room. Jane's eyes trailed after her, and was beginning to contemplate following, but then he remembered the woman by his side.

He turned is head and looked downwards slightly, expecting to see the pair of emerald green eyes he had grown so accustomed to. But instead, he was met by a shoulder, draped with fiery red hair and a pair of chestnut eyes. He almost flinched back in shock. Grace was actually several centimetres _taller _than him! He hated this more than he thought he would in all honesty. Her hand on his shoulder felt alien. The feeling was different; like the middle of summer instead of the fresh spring, sea breeze he loved. He hoped that Rigsby would take the bait soon…

Rigsby was still watching with cold, intense eyes. He was waiting for someone to say something, but the atmosphere in the room was just too heavy. Finally, Jane shifted uncomfortably and spoke.

"Well, I guess we'd better be getting home too, eh Grace?" and he winked suggestively for added effect. To both their surprise, she reached forwards and pecked him on the lips. The contents of Rigsby's sandwich landed on the keyboard with a comical '_Splat'._

"Yep. Sure thing, hun. Just give me a moment to get my things, OK?" Jane only nodded, trying hard not to let the shock register in his face. Now that _would _give the game away! Grace hurriedly scooped up her belongings from the desk and flung her coat round her shoulders. Jane was left to awkwardly stare at the ground whilst he was scrutinised by an undoubtedly fuming Rigsby.

_For crying out loud, hurry up Grace!_

"Done!" He sighed in relief. "Let's go, Patrick." She linked her arm through his and they walked in step towards the elevator. "Bye Rigsby! Bye Cho!" she called over her shoulder.

The two men were left in a stunned and rather awkward silence.

"Why the hell did I do that?" she gasped when they were inside the elevator. Her face was flushed and she looked mortified. "Sorry about that. I thought it was…appropriate timing." Jane pressed the button and the doors clanged shut behind them.

"Meh, don't worry about it. It seemed to have the desired effect. I was just surprised that you actually did it. And without showing your emotions afterwards? Very impressive. You should go into acting you know." The lift jolted and started moving slowly downwards.

She shrank back against the wall. "Oh God, no. I hated drama when I was at high school. Worst lesson I had!" He chuckled. "To tell you the truth Jane, I'm really starting to think this is a very bad idea."

"Oh? Why's that?" He frowned in concern whilst he watched the digital panel count downwards to show which floor they were currently at.

"Well… I hate seeing Rigsby upset, and I know that the whole point of this is to get his attention, but I'd rather him be happy than make him angry just so we can get back together. You do realise he hates you now, right?"

He pretended to look offended. "He hates _me?_ I'm hurt!" She scowled. "Oh, calm down I'm joking. I know very well that I'm not exactly his best friend now. But that's part of the package. Don't worry about it, Grace. I'm sure he'll get over it."

"Well… That's not the only thing. There are two other things, actually." She distractedly scuffed the ground with her shoe.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "What now?"

Grace's head snapped up. "Hey, don't act all moody on me, Jane! I'm trying to help _you _out here!" A confused look spread across his face, and his eyes sparked with curiosity.

"Help me out? This has nothing to do with me! I'm—"

"On the contrary, Patrick. It has quite a bit to do with you. Remember what Cho said? When he spoke to us in the kitchen?"

Patrick briefly thought back to this moment. "Yes. I do. Is that what you're worried about? That Cho will tell on us? Because rest assured, I know Cho reasonably well, and he's not the telling type." He inwardly laughed at the irony.

"No. Well, yes, that was the other thing, but there's something else. Come on, you're the all-seeing wise one here! What was it that he said to us?"

"Err… Think of the consequences? But we've done that, Grace! The consequences will be that Rigsby will get jealous and—"

"—and want to get back with me. I know, you've said that before! But you seem to be forgetting the other consequence. One that involves you…"

OK, now he was _really _confused! "But it doesn't concern me! This is about helping you get your boyfriend back!"

"Oh, my God! Talk about slow on the uptake! How exactly are we going about this matter of getting back together?" She spoke slowly and firmly, as though she were talking to a stubborn child. Although sometimes, it really felt like she was…

"We're…pretending to be a couple?"

"Yes, precisely. And what does 'being a couple' entail?"

"That theeey… Love each other?"

"Very good!" she exclaimed sarcastically. "Now how is that making Rigsby feel, do you think? What do you think is going through his mind right now?"

"Well, he isn't very happy I know that for a fact. Did you see his face? It was hilarious! He was getting redder and redder by the second and—OWW!" Grace smacked him round the back of the head.

"Shut up and get a grip! You need to hear this! You're obviously too blind to see it, so I'll just tell you. I'm not talking about Cho telling on us, or Rigsby going red or making him feel bad. What I mean is how do you think this is making _Lisbon _feel? If Rigsby's upset, then Lisbon is likely to be feeling exactly the same way!"

He stopped dead and blinked in shock. "Lisbon? Where does Lisbon come into all of this?" His mind flashed back to the last time he'd seen her. Of course, she had looked quite weary and tired. But that was from the endless mountain of paperwork she'd faced. Wasn't it? "Why would Lisbon be upset?"

"Oh, please don't tell me you have no idea about…GAH!" She suddenly burst out in anger, grabbed two fistfuls of her hair and squeezed her eyes shut. "You're just so damn _stubborn, _Patrick Jane!"

The more that he looked at that image in his head, the more the hunched shoulders and that haggard face leapt out at him. The tear-stained eyes became more and more prominent. It was making him feel nauseous and he forced himself to switch of the TV screen in his mind. He hated seeing her upset! The dropping sensation of the lift wasn't helping and he swallowed.

"Why was she so…sad?" His voice broke on the last word. Grace stared back with an unnerving intent in her eyes.

"Because she—"The lift suddenly stopped and the doors parted, allowing them to exit and make their way towards the parking lot.

"Because she what?" Jane was desperate for an answer but all he received was a discerning look.

"I think you should find that out for yourself, Jane. I don't want to get involved. You should just talk to her tomorrow." And with a final sigh and a rather forced embrace, Grace was gone.

He stayed put and thought to himself. His mind went round and round in circles. What the hell did she mean? Lisbon wasn't part of the plan, so what could she possibly have meant by that?

Still plagued by thoughts and unanswered questions, he ambled out to his car and drove to his motel, pondering what revelations tomorrow might bring.

**I sincerely apologise if this seems very rushed or just downright awful. I knew what I wanted to write, but I just didn't know how to put it into words… I hope this is alright? I beg you, please feel free to tell me where I went wrong; I'm always open for constructive criticism. **

**Much love and Happy holidays! I finished school today for Christmas- WOO HOO! **


	4. The Good, Bad and Downright Stupid

**A/N: Hey guys! Hope you all had a good Christmas. There should only be a few chapters left. Enjoy peeps! :D**

**Disclaimer: It isn't mine. And I didn't get the DVDs either because they're too expensive… Bummer…:/**

The Good, The Bad and The Downright Stupid

The drive back home was awful. Every song that the radio decided to play was typically a reiteration of the day's events. The constant drones of words made her want to scream and bang her head on the steering wheel. Luckily, she refrained from doing so, and forced herself to concentrate on the road.

Rhythmically, the street lights flickered across the windscreen. The brightness mingled with the tears that were beginning to pool at the bottom of her eyes, caused both by the straining weariness and growing sadness. She should've stopped. She knew that. Her perilous driving was undoubtedly a criminal offence, but suddenly Lisbon was outside her apartment with no recollection of how she got there.

She shut the engine off and climbed out, desperate to get inside and indulge herself in an entire tub of ice cream and a movie. Once inside, she leant against the closed door and put her hands on her face, yawning in the process. With a sigh, Lisbon slumped back, letting her hands fall to her sides and rest lightly on the cold, smooth surface behind her.

At least in the comfort of her own home, she could let the mask slip and be herself without being judged. With a final sigh of resolve, she allowed herself to shed one, small tear. It rolled slowly down her cheek until she smudged it away with her sleeve. Then, she ran her hands through her hair, held her head up higher and shrugged her coat off. She would forget all about Patrick Jane. She couldn't have him, and there was nothing she could do about it. She had done the right thing. She had endured it, like she had with so many other things over the years. Nothing had been said and so there was no harm done.

Sauntering into the kitchen with a new air of confidence and grandeur about her, she began the hunt for the ice cream, ready for an evening dedicated entirely to herself.

_Meanwhile…_

Jane's eyes traced each and every small crack that spread out across the ceiling of his room. It looked like a maze; all the squiggly and complicated lines stretched out into an impossible, incomprehensible mess that seemed to reflect his innermost thoughts. Never-ending and always taking a new direction.

Right now, his mind was replaying Grace's words. Or rather, who Grace's words had been about. _Lisbon… _That woman never ceased to amaze him in the weirdest and most wonderful ways; her petite but tough structure, her gorgeous dark brown hair and those unforgettably breath-taking eyes. They haunted both his dreams and his waking hours, the only break in the constant film of red that was forever branded into his mind's eye.

Between his thumb and forefinger, he held his wedding band. It caught the light when he twisted it around and around, casting dancing yellow spotlights across his face. He'd shocked even himself when he'd taken it off. The pale tan line on his finger was the only indication of it ever being there, and the expected feelings of guilt and sadness had never come.

There was only a strange rush of relief and a certain hint of freedom. It was the kind of feeling that one might associate with opening a bottle of lemonade that had been shaken up. All that pent up tension had all flowed out at once, leaving him more relaxed than he had been in a long while.

He let his arm fall to his side and rest against the plush cushions on his bed. Jane's eyes closed and once again he imagined Lisbon's face as she had left. His face contorted into a frown and he sat up. He had been such a fool, to think that this plan would ever work. Just as Cho had said, Rigsby wasn't stupid. It had gotten out of control, and instead of making Rigsby upset, it had made Lisbon upset. Now that his ring was removed from his finger, he thought it would be a good time to finally decide how he felt.

How stupid he'd been! Why on earth couldn't he just face facts? Why did it take the removal of his wedding band for him to feel properly? He was well within his rights to make his own decisions in life. With a deep intake of breath, he promised himself that he wouldn't dwell on the past any longer.

'_Easier said than done,' _he thought. But he'd be damned if he wasn't going to try. He would try for her. For Teresa Lisbon. The woman who he now knew to have captured his heart, albeit unknowingly on her part. But soon, he'd tell her. He'd tell her straight, and if she didn't like it, then his heart might possibly break even more, if that was even possible. But that was a bridge that he would cross if and when he came to it.

Screw the plan! It wasn't likely to work anyhow, and it was so cringe-worthy, what with all the cuddling and kissing and whatnot, that it didn't really bear thinking about.

He placed the ring in his vest pocket and stole a glance at his watch.

_23:43_

How had it gotten so late so quickly? He daren't ring her, since she'd probably already be in bed or engrossed in a movie. He didn't want to make her anymore upset than she already was, and he didn't want to seem like a coward. He would talk to her in person tomorrow. Begrudgingly, he turned to switch the bedside lamp off, preparing himself for yet another sleepless night. Tomorrow, all would be revealed.

_The next day…_

The next morning, all the bravado in her was gone. The sense of heartbreak hit her like a ton of bricks once again. She rolled out of bed unceremoniously and began the normal morning routine, trying to drag it out as long as humanly possible before she could be classed as late.

All too soon, she was in the car and driving to work. Several times she had to remind herself that she didn't care. But giving up on something that was eight years in the making was never going to be easy. In what seemed like seconds, she was parked and heading towards the elevator.

To her disgust, she caught herself biting her nails. She scolded herself and forced her hand back down to her side and kept it there. Once the metal doors had closed, she sighed and brought her head back hard against the wall behind her. The clang echoed in the enclosed space and her ears rang. It helped though. It helped to funnel out all of her anger and anxiousness. It hurt, but slowly she felt a sense of normality return.

She stepped out and immediately made a beeline for her office, pushing past a slowly accumulating crowd outside. She swiftly opened the door and then closed it just as quickly. She glanced nervously through the glass windows that overlooked the bullpen, watching out for Jane.

"OK, this is just stupid now." She groaned. "You're scared of your best fr—"She stopped short. "—you're colleague!" Best friend? Where the hell had that come from? Lisbon pulled off her coat and slumped down into her chair. She pulled her coat up over her face, blocking out the light and the rest of the general hubbub of a CBI morning.

Absently, she swayed her chair from side to side, rocking herself into a daydream. She was so involved in her reverie, however, that she didn't hear the knock on the door. Or the click as it opened. Or the footsteps that approached her. Without warning, the coat was whisked clean out of her hands and she found herself face to face with the man himself.

Oh, boy… This was going to be interesting.

**Sorry it's kinda short! I'm not slacking or anything, I'm just having a bit of writer's block, PLUS I thought this would be a good place to stop. Next one WILL be up in the next two days or so. I promise. Not gonna break it this time. ;D Adios amigos! X**


	5. What goes up might not come down

**A/N: As promised! Written late at night, as I had an unexpectedly busy and hectic day, but still written nonetheless. ;D I'm going to try and make this one a bit longer. I know I said last time that I wasn't, but I feel like I'm slacking a bit! :/ Well, this thing isn't gonna write itself, so I'd better shut up and get going! Enjoy! This is the second to last chapter by the way xx**

**Disclaimer: Nope. It's not mine. What? You expected some witty comment? Well you would've got one if I hadn't had to say this so many times! DX Maybe they make us do it to tease us? Make us feel even worse that it doesn't belong to us? Hmm…**

What goes up might not come down

A staring contest immediately ensued, each one trying to outdo the other as green eyes met blue. Both were frozen in time, Jane trying to suss out what he was going to say and Lisbon trying to find a way of getting the hell out of there.

After an unbearable tense silence, one finally spoke.

"Hello." Whispered Lisbon.

"Hello." He repeated. Yet another awkward gap in the conversation arose. Lisbon's eyes were stinging, and she found she had yet to blink, let alone breathe. Jane did likewise, and stepped back, looking at the coat which he had yet to let go of. He held it out and she accepted it without a word.

With rigid movements, she stood, hung it on the back of her chair and then went to leave the room to get a coffee. He gazed after her until his limbs finally decided to co-operate and he followed.

In that moment, she reminded him of a robot, nothing more than a machine working on someone else's orders, both automatically and without emotion. Without thinking, she switched on the coffee machine and made herself her usual morning beverage. Not a word was spoken the entire time, and he couldn't bear the lack of their every-day banter.

"Look, Lisbon. We need to talk." He finally sighed.

"Oh?" Her voice croaked and she coughed nervously to clear her throat. "About what?"

"About…" He bit his lip and steeled himself. "Us." Another break in the conversation. This had to be a record!

"U—us?" she stammered when her mouth brought forth audible words. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I say, Lisbon. What are we?"

It pained her to say the next words, but say them she did. "We're colleagues."

His face fell. "Is that it? Completely and utterly it? There's nothing else?"

OK, now she was confused. Approximately twelve hours ago, Patrick Jane and Grace Van Pelt were practically joined at the hip and smooching in front of the entire building. Now, Jane was in front of her actually asking her opinion about him and herself.

"I'm afraid I don't totally understand, Jane." She stated calmly as she took a sip of her drink.

"I mean… What is this leading to?"

"Leading to?" For no apparent reason, she felt her anger levels rising. Was he playing her for a fool? Teasing and taunting her with the prospect of a relationship with someone else and then asking her a question like that?

"Oh, come on, Lisbon! You know what I mean… Don't you?" To her surprise, he seemed almost desperate. He looked genuinely scared.

After a few seconds' deliberation, she spoke what she thought would be the most harmless and innocent answer she could give.

"Jane, why are you asking about us? You're with Grace! If this isn't giving me mixed signals, then I don't know what is!" There. That was confirming what she already knew. No harm in that, was there? And she was only stating the obvious. He _was _giving her mixed signals.

"Look, Lisbon. I need to talk to you abou—"

"Hey, Boss. New case?"

Jane had lost her attention and cut off his sentence when he saw Leroche. His evil snake-eyes flickered menacingly to Jane's face, registering his open mouth and anxious stance. He had missed something good here. A new fault on Jane's part perhaps? Some office gossip? Anything he could get his greedy hands on. There was a tangible chill in the air as a wide shadow cast over the two of them.

"Yes." He drawled out suspiciously. He handed Lisbon a manila file without taking his eyes off of Jane. Patrick shrank back against the cupboards in mock fear. Without another word, Leroche skulked off. Jane immediately started chuckling in amusement, then he stopped short when he caught Lisbon's icy glare.

"What? Oh, come on. It's freaking hilarious! He thinks he's all big and tough and mighty when he stares at you like that. When actually, I wouldn't mind betting he's just a weak little skinny guy in a fat suit. I bet—"

"Jane, would you shut up?"

"Ooh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!"

"Jane…"

"Sorry. Anyways, where were we?"

"Jane, listen. Why are you asking me that?"

He looked blank. "Asking you what?"

"Asking me about… Us."

"Don't say it like that! I just want to know what you…Um…" His gaze averted down to the floor and locked onto his brown, leather shoes which were dancing awkwardly in strange circles.

He was actually nervous! She marvelled at this new revelation.

"Jane, I don't mean this in a horrible way..."

_Well, not really…_

"And please don't take this personally…"

_Although it is aimed at you…_

"And don't think for a minute that I'm trying to… ya know… do anything…"

_Well, except for the small matter of BREAKING YOU TWO UP…_

"But what exactly is going on with you? One minute you're… _kissing _Grace and the next…" She looked flustered.

"Lisbon, about me and Grace—"

"Yeah, I know! You don't have to say it! You're together. I get it."

"That's the thing! We're…" He suddenly decided to play along for a bit. He didn't want to just jump in at the deep end and then find out she didn't feel the same way. He would find out before he made his move. "Hang on, how did you know we were together in the first place?"

She sighed sadly, as if recalling an unwelcome memory. "You didn't exactly make an effort to hide it. I have a perfect view of the bullpen from my window, Jane. I don't miss a thing. Least of all something like…that."

He felt terrible. Like someone had just come along and slammed their fists right into his stomach, leaving him winded. He'd never meant for this to happen. This plan was a disaster. Nothing had happened on the Rigsby front and now he'd made Lisbon upset!

"Why is this making you so upset?" Urging her to say it, he prepared a speech in his head that would resolve the whole issue.

"It's not. It's just… Kind of unexpected, I guess." She replied nonchalantly. Although inside, she was crying. Physically crying and yelling at him to say it. Then it would all be OK…

Jane practically deflated. He should know that she wouldn't cave in that easily. He'd have to push her a little more… "Can I go back to my office, now?" But when she tried to get through, he sidestepped in front of her, effectively cutting off her exit route. "Jane…" she took on that warning tone. He anger levels were slowly increasing again. This man couldn't just drop a subject when the time came!

"Just hear me out!" He held his hands out in front of his face and took a deep breath. "You need to listen to me." She sighed and flipped open the folder, beginning to scan the text. "No more distractions! I want you to hear this, Teresa!" he said loudly, making her jump.

She held up a hand. "No, Jane. I want you to hear this. I get it. You're together. Good for you! Truly." Her eyes were shining with a fierce honesty he had never seen before in anyone. It made him stop and stare as she went on with her heartfelt prose. "You guys look good together. It makes you happy. _She _makes you happy. That's more than I could ever give you. Of course, things are going to be a little different around here. Well, quite a bit different…" Tears sprang into her eyes and she blinked to try and suppress their flow down her cheeks. "…but still. You're happy. So I'm happy and so is everyone else. That's more than I could ever hope for." She gripped the folder with both arms folded around it and clasped to her chest. "I just want to wish you…" She sniffed. "…all the best, I guess."

With one, small final smile, she reached up on tip-toes and planted a ghost of a kiss on his cheek. Then, with a nod, she turned and walked back to her office.

There. She'd said it. Or rather, done it. But actions speak louder than words, right? A kiss on the cheek and a nervous smile were pretty big indicators of… Oh, screw it! He scurried after her and ducked inside before the door could be shut.

She jumped in shock, rubbing her eyes profusely to rid herself of the growing pool of tears. He grabbed her shoulders firmly and stared straight into her eyes.

"Grace and I are NOT together." Her eyes widened instantly and she didn't move. He set off at a fast pace, determined to explain everything.

"Don't say anything, let me finish. Look. All of this was my idea. I don't know if you've realised, but Grace has been pretty down lately. I think we all know why, right? So I decided to help her. I came up with a plan that was supposed to make Rigsby jealous so he would realise how much he loved her again and get back with her. However, I didn't think of the other consequences. For instance, this one." He motioned to her. "I've had… feelings for a while. That's why I was asking those questions earlier. Because I didn't want to risk ruining our friendship if the feeling wasn't mutual. I'm sorry for what I did. And in front of you! That was way out of line, and I sincerely apologise, Teresa. Now can you please not look at me like that?" He gasped, short of breath.

Then he stood back and slowly released his grip on her arms. Still, she stood there like a statue, not daring to move. The folder and coffee cup hung limply in her hands whilst her mouth hung slightly open, unable to make a sound in response.

He cringed and scowled at the floor. "Patrick, you idiot. What the hell? This is a new low even for you…" he muttered angrily to himself. He turned quickly and went to run out the door when he felt a small hand grip his wrist.

"You actually meant that? You really did all that?" she whispered.

"Yeah. And I can't say I'm proud of it, either."

"Wait, you made me confess?" she suddenly shrieked, yanking him around so he was facing her.

"No, you did that of your own accord, actually." He allowed a small smirk to appear on his face, amused at her unnecessary discomfort.

"Oh my God!" she squeaked as she stood in the middle of the room, bright red and wide-eyed yet again.

"Whoa, calm down. It's OK. I won't tell anyone. Now that that's up in the air, I guess there's nothing to hide anymore?"

Slowly she returned to her normal colour and looked at him. "I—I guess so."

"Well then… I love you. I love you more than anything, Teresa. And when you said that happiness is more than you could ever give me? That is not true! You've given me some of the happiest years of my life since I've been here, Lisbon. So don't you think for a second that you don't make me happy, because you do."

She stared again, this time in admiration. "OK. Then…Then I guess I'd better make it official. I love you too, Patrick. More than I can say. Or, more than words." They both laughed at the irony. Now it truly was 'Their Song'.

"Hey, I have problem now though." Jane suddenly said. Her smile faded.

"What?" He caught her worried expression and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh, don't worry! It's nothing to do with that! It's just…how am I gonna make Rigsby jealous now?" He felt her laugh in his arms and pulled her closer.

"You can carry on with your plan until he goes for it, just promise me no more kissing. But if it's necessary, tell me beforehand so I can look away." She nestled further into his embrace, savouring the warmth and the safe feeling of their first, proper hug.

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Yes, ma'am."

**A/N: Pft, talk about anti-climatic! Sorry guys, it's gone midnight here and I'm not fully awake. DANG! I'm over the time limit too! Uh oh… I might end up rewriting this chapter if I wake up tomorrow, re-read it and find it totally illegible. Apologies!**

**The last chapter (hopefully for tomorrow!) will be the final one, and it should be a million times better than this. Much love to all xx**


	6. Always Expect the Unexpected

**A/N: Hey guys! This'll be the last chapter in this story. I've had a lot of fun writing it, actually. Enjoy! :D HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!**

**Disclaimer: Nuh uh. Sadly, it's still not to be. :( BUT! GUESS WHAT? I'VE GOT SEASON ONE ON DVD! :D WOOP! WOOP! **

Always Expect the Unexpected.

It was fairly hard, but after some coaxing, Jane managed to get Lisbon to let go. She was frightened that, if she ended the embrace, it would all end up being a daydream. Nothing but a figment of her imagination.

"Don't worry, I'll be back. Just need to sort everything out. You don't mind us doing this, do you?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Nah. If you and I get to be…together…" she smiled at the word in delight. "…then so should they. As far as I'm concerned, it's only fairness. Screw the rules." He looked at her in utter amazement.

"You know what? I bloody love you." And he kissed her full on the lips. Briefly, he looked to see if the blinds were closed, and was relieved to see that they were. He pulled away and held her close once more, savouring her warmth and gorgeous scent before he left to complete his plan.

First he went to Grace. She was conveniently situated in the kitchenette, where they could both talk freely.

"Grace, I've talked to Lisbon." He conferred.

"And?" she urged. In answer, he gave her the thumbs up, which said much more than he could with his mouth. She squealed and gave him and energetic double high-five, both wearing matching smiles as bright as the sun. At that moment, Cho walked in. Grace stopped and cleared her throat, attempting a state as nearest to composure that she could muster. She was over the moon that Jane and Lisbon were together! As well as pretty much the rest of the building. Jane noticed him and smiled.

"It's OK, Grace. He knows anyway, don't you Cho?" Cho nodded. "So, you know what we've been planning, right? Well, it turns out tha—"

"It turns out that Lisbon was in love with you and was really upset about seeing you two together. Grace told you about that and persuaded you to talk to her this morning. You talked, and you found out everything. Then you went into her office and kissed her. Yeah, I've pretty much got it." He deadpanned.

"W—well...Yes. Wow. Umm…OK. But I didn't go into her office to purposefully kiss her. God, you people make it all sound so serious! Anyways, you won't say anything to Rigsby, will you?"

"It's not my right to get involved with other people's business. My lips are sealed." He left, but he couldn't hide the smile that appeared on his face. The both looked at each other.

"Did he just—"

"—Smile?" they both said in unison. Today was turning out to be _very _different indeed.

"I didn't expect that!" Jane laughed. "Guess we better get this over and done with?" he smiled.

"Yep. But what about Lisbon?"

"Meh, she said she's fine about everything, but no more kissing. But if it's necessary, give her a sign so that she can look away." He chuckled, already fantasising about their future together.

Grace laughed in turn and waved a hand before his face. "Hey, snap out of it, lover boy. I want my happy ending too!"

"Of course, madam." They linked arms. "Let the show begin!"

Almost instantaneously, Rigsby's face fell as soon as they walked into the room. "You guys having fun?" he asked bitterly.

"Oh, yes. I'm having a great day today." Piped up Grace.

Rigsby all but growled in Jane's direction. For some reason, an image of a fire-breathing dragon came into Jane's mind. Long razor-sharp claws slashing at his body, needle-like teeth flashing menacingly in a gaping mouth more than capable of swallowing him whole. Strangely, it was all quite amusing in his eyes, and he stifled a snigger. Rigsby as a dragon…Not something he would've otherwise associated with the normally gentle man, but apparently dear Gracie had more of an effect on him than they originally thought.

As if he could bear the strain no more, Rigsby stood up and put his hand on Grace's shoulder. "Can we talk? Please?" She nodded and shot Jane one last look, earning herself a reassuring thumbs up. Now all that there was left to do was wait, and hope that Grace could pull off the last step on her own.

"Look Grace. I understand that you and Jane are together, but—I mean, don't get me wrong, but could you not—you know, make it so…'In your face'?" he cringed.

"Are you OK, Rigs?" she asked.

"No. I mean, yes! Well, I guess so. I mean, I'm sorry if that sounded really, kind of, horrible and that. I didn't mean to—what I mean to say Grace is that I—I umm…"

"What?" she urged, feeling a confession was just around the corner. All he needed was a little push!

"I—I'm really happy for you two. That's what I mean. And I hope that you have a—"He coughed. "—a good and happy time together."

Grace's hopes plummeted and shattered against the hard kitchen floor. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. Perhaps he wasn't going to take the bait after all. He looked lost in his own thoughts, so she bade him a forcedly cheerful word of thanks and then turned to leave.

_Oh, for Christ's sake, just tell her._

"Wait, Grace." He grabbed her wrist, stopping her. Her mood soared again. Maybe…? "That's not what I meant to say. What I was going to say was that…I…I still love you Grace. I'm sorry if I'm screwing everything up here, but I can't not tell you. Just…Just remember that."

"O—OK." She stammered. Then he walked away.

_Oh. My. God._

"So? What happened?" Jane asked as soon as she walked back around the corner.

"He—He said he loved me!" She exclaimed, flapping her arms in sheer joy. She pulled Jane into a small hug, not wanting to overdo it for Lisbon's sake. "Thank you so much!"

"Hey, hey! It's OK. But it isn't over yet."

"Huh?" She said, confused. "I thought we were only looking for a confession!"

"What about Sarah? What about you're confession to him? Plus, we can't suddenly, randomly break up right after he's told you he loves you. That'll seem too coincidental and he'll get suspicious. We need a reason for us to break up. Like say, an argument or a disagreement. Unfortunately, I can't think of anything at the precise moment, but I'm sure it'll come in time. After the argument, you act upset, he walks over and tries to comfort you and that's when you tell him that, deep down, it's been him all along!"

With a final flourish, Jane swept his arms out, knocking a jar of coffee powder to the floor with a smash. They both froze in horror. Lisbon would kill the two of them if she found the kitchen like this! "Oops… Wait, hang on! Argument opportunity! Grace, get your acting hat on, because this is it."

She stared at him incredulously. "A jar of coffee powder? Seriously?"

"Yes!" he hissed. "Make something up! Use your imagination! Now you're gonna have to shout a little. Make it believable."

"OK…" She thought for a moment. Then, she stooped down and scooped up a handful of the brown powder and smeared in down the front of her blouse. His eyes widened. "JANE!" she suddenly screamed. He stepped back, actually shocked. "THIS IS MY NEW BLOUSE!"

He took on a stormy look. "Oh, I'm sorry! But I think you'll find that you left the jar of coffee powder there in the first place! And you bumped into me which in turn made me hit the jar! You can't blame me for that!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah! Really!"

"This'll never wash out, you idiot!"

"Oh, come on! Of course it will! You're making a big fuss out of nothing, Grace! Look!" He gesticulated to the growing crowd that were anxiously trying to get in on this rare occasion of actual drama. "It's just a little bit of coffee powder! It isn't doing you any harm!"

"You haven't even said sorry!" Somehow, she worked up a few tears and they fell from her eyes onto her red cheeks.

_That girl really should take up acting classes, _he thought. _Regardless of her distaste of the subject._

"Why should I say sorry? It wasn't my fault!" he shouted stubbornly.

"IT _WAS _YOUR FAULT!" she shouted, and then she ran out of the room, avoiding the eyes of the nosy onlookers. Rigsby was one of them, and he was glaring unnervingly at Jane. Then, once he was sure his anger was felt, he took off after Grace.

Jane, feeling all at once like his work here was done, retreated to Lisbon's office where he found her watching with a certain amused look in her eyes. "You think it worked?" she asked, biting her lip.

"I have faith in our Grace." He replied, pulling her into a hug. "I think it'll all work out just fine."

Rigsby found her sobbing uncontrollably on the roof. She was sat in one of the metal chairs allocated to the coffee cart area, her head in her hands.

She was growing quite accustomed to this acting business. It was more-or-less the same thing as the make believe she did with her sister when they were younger. It brought back some good memories. She heard footsteps behind her. She pushed the 'pretending' up a notch and sobbed louder.

"Grace? Are you OK?" he asked timidly.

"Not really." She sniffed. "Me and Jane are over, I think." She wasn't sure if she imagined it, but she thought she heard Rigsby sigh in relief.

"Hey. Look at me." He lifted her head with a hand and wiped away the tears on her face. "It'll be OK." He smiled gently. In the remaining sunlight, he could see a smile playing at the corners of her lips. "We're both in the same boat now."

"Huh?" her smile vanished.

"Me and Sarah. We're over too. Thought it was best if we just stayed friends." Her face was hard to read. He couldn't tell if she was happy or sad. The only thing he could see there was a hint of sympathy. "It's OK. We're cool. I'm OK. Don't worry about me, Grace. It's you I'm worried about!"

After a few moments of silence, he finally went for it. "You've…got me. You know that, right?"

In answer, she put her hand over his and planted a soft kiss on his palm. "I know. Thank you, Wayne."

Twenty minutes later, Jane and Lisbon watched them walk down the stairs, hands locked together, laughing and talking just like before.

"I guess it worked." Lisbon smiled, wrapping her arms around Jane's neck. He kissed her softly.

"Yeah. I guess it did."

"Did you always think it would work?" she asked, already predicting his answer.

"Of course I expected it to work out like that. I know everything!"

"Did you expect…this?" she asked, meaning their current embrace.

"Well, I have to admit. This wasn't part of the original plan. But it's certainly a greatly appreciated consequence. Unexpected, but brilliant all the same."

**A/N: Ta da! Hope it was sufficient enough! Thanks for reading guys! Xx**

**This is DaWhoGirl32, over and out! :D**


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